For many start-up alcohol companies the question of whether to build a “branded house” or a “house of brands” is a critical one to answer for their company and brand’s future success.

Whether you plan on launching just one product or dozens, considering your company’s strategy for brand architecture and how it will evolve over time is a critical first step to ensure your brand’s success and ultimately, its strength in the market.

Whether a start-up, or an established producer looking to expand, developing a realistic and well thought-out marketing plan and budget is crucial to success.

Rule #1: Remember, you are in the business of selling, more than you are in the business of producing.

Many a passionate producer has failed in thinking that the exceptional quality of their product alone would trump a well thought-out marketing strategy. In fact, your ability to influence consumer trial and cultivate brand loyalty are in … Continue reading

Ensure your website redesign starts off on the right foot by following these key tips.

Often the most widely seen face of your brand, your website has to leave a good impression. As Director of Product Marketing for HubSpot Meghan Keaney Anderson points out in her article for Inc., companies retool their sites on average every 18-24 months. While the ever-changing online environment can make for new and unique challenges, these tips will help you prepare for your redesign with … Continue reading

Wineries and distilleries alike are showing their support for the environment by employing sustainable practices when it comes to their packaging. As consumers become more environmentally conscious, advances in sustainable materials and technologies are providing plenty of options for producers to “go green”.

Bottles:

While glass bottles have always been the gold standard for wine packaging, more recently, some cost sensitive and earth conscious … Continue reading

Navigating the legal waters of intellectual property can be tricky – here’s what you need to know when it comes to the two most common terms.

Ensuring your brand is legally protected is crucial if you’re going to compete in the ever-crowding alcohol beverage market. When it comes to developing your logo, package design, and other intellectual property, it’s important to know the difference between Copyright and Trademark so that you know what to protect, and how. Failing to ensure … Continue reading

When consumers are choosing a wine, spirit or beer from the shelf or at a restaurant, they are influenced both by analytical and aesthetic cues provided by the packaging and its hierarchy. Here’s what you need to know about this delicate balance to influence consumers to choose your product over your competitor’s.

Typical Hierarchy

In very general terms a typical label hierarchy from most prominent to the least prominent is as follows:

Sharing your budget with your creative agency up front will ensure a more efficient RFP process, an accurate proposal that addresses your specific needs, and the beginning of a business relationship that is based on trust and transparency.

Every time a prospect reaches out to my agency with an RFP, one of the first questions we ask is “What’s your budget?”. Some prospects are hesitant to share this information fearing agencies will just write their proposals to maximize their budget, … Continue reading

If your marketing team is developing a new alcohol beverage or is repositioning an existing one, a good market position statement is a crucial component.

At the onset of every project I walk my clients through a comprehensive creative brief before beginning design. A good portion of this brief is devoted to analyzing and visualizing the market positioning goals of the brand so that we can develop a design solution that is not only aesthetically beautiful, but appropriately positioned … Continue reading

Considerations brand owners should be aware of when developing their brand launch and distribution strategy.

You’ve finally done it, congratulations! You have created your product, developed your brand identity and packaging and now you are ready to get your finished labor of love into the hands (and mouths) of your consumers. While it may seem like the bulk of your work is behind you, you still have some big decisions to make with how your brand will be put into … Continue reading

How to choose the right distributor for your alcohol beverage brand.

Though the popularity (and legality) of direct to consumer sales is growing, the “bread and butter” sales channel for alcohol beverages is the 3-Tier system. Finding the right distributor for you is crucial to your brand’s success. Distributors come in all shapes and sizes but here are the 3 of the most common:

Top Supplier DistributorThese distributors often have a leading market share in particular state or region … Continue reading

David Schuemann

Drink With Your Eyes provides tips and insights into brand strategy and design for the alcohol beverage category. Since 2002, David Schuemann has been the Owner & Creative Director of CF Napa Brand Design, a creative agency specializing in wine, spirits, and beer.

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